Last year, the billion-dollar beauty industry saw a 3.3% decline in sales, said market researcher NPD…

…

The organic skin care industry…sales have been growing. In 2006, personal care organic sales totaled $350 million, according to the Organic Trade Association. Although it doesn’t have final numbers for the past two years, it estimates sales were $445 million for 2007 and $564.5 million last year.

Although calling Pangea independent—saying it hasn’t taken “outside” investment, seems a little odd, since I personally know a few (great) natural biz investors in Pangea.

Onysko says he can stay true to the Pangea mission because of the way his company is funded. He says Pangea has not accepted outside investor capital. The company is owned by him and a number of friends and family investors.

“The goal of Pangaea [sic] is to remain independent forever and not sell the company,” he says.

If Josh’s point is that he’s not taking money from The Man—from VC, or other conventional beauty companies—that’s fantastic, and rare. Still, independence is not a word, in the LOHAS context, to bandy about or dilute. I’ve kept elephant 100% independent, and have made some serious short-term sacrifices in order to make sure that we our editorial is never compromised by backseat drivers, friends or otherwise—who may be more concerned about their investment that staying true to our mission.

Still, Pangea has got to be my one and only true love as far as truly organic beauty products go.

Onysko says that hundreds of competitors claim to be 100% natural or organic, but only a few, Pangea included, actually are. The company backs its claims by transparency in ingredients use.

Daily Wake-Up Call Newsletter

Get elephant's Daily Wake Up Call: a gap for inspiration & meaning in the inbox of your mind